13.92 mm diameter, 1.224 g, 90% gold, reeded edge Obverse: ROMANIA, year 2022, coat of arms of Romania, face value 10 LEI, octagonal vessel from the Hoard of Pietroasa, seen from above	Reverse: both polygonal vessels from the Hoard of Pietroasa (above - the octagonal one, below - the dodecagonal one) and inscription TEZAURUL DE LA PIETROASA · VASELE POLIGONALE · meaning "HOARD OF PIETROASA · POLYGONAL VESSELS ·" Issuing date: 19th of December 2022 Maximum mintage: 1,000 coins

Information about the Pietroasa Hoard can be found on the page of the set of four 500 old lei coins from 2001 with four of its pieces.

About the Polygonal Vessels from the Hoard of Pietroasa

There are two polygonal vessels, one octagonal (with eight side walls) and the other dodecagonal (with 12 side walls). Both pieces are made of gold, decorated with precious stones - tourmalines, almandines and garnets. The pieces of the treasure were mistreated after their discovery and after the theft in 1875, and as a result, many of the ornamental stones were lost.

The octagonal vessel has 8 large rectangular panels on the sides, and another 8 trapezoidal panels at the bottom, connecting to the octagonal bottom of the vessel. The handles are animal-shaped, interpreted as panthers [1]. One of the handles is original, the second has been restored [2]. The connection between the handle and the body of the vessel is made by a plate with sockets in which precious stones were mounted [2]. The vessel is 118 mm high, 160 mm in diameter at the mouth, and weighs 2711.5 g [1].

The dodecagonal vessel has 12 large rectangular panels on the sides and 12 more trapezoidal panels on the bottom. The original handles have not been preserved, having probably been destroyed after the discovery of the hoard. The current handles are reconstructed in silver or perhaps in silver-plated base metal, based on the original model from the octagonal vessel, in the form of panthers [2]. This addition was made in 1884 by Paul Telge (1846-1909), a jeweler, craftsman and engraver from Berlin (who also worked for King Charles I). The vessel is 110 mm high, 176 mm in diameter at the mouth, 79 mm in diameter at the base, and weighs 2286.8 g [1].

The History of gold series comprises:
- a set of four pieces of 500 old lei featuring the golden cache of Pietroasa (2001),
- the following 100 old lei coins with

- the Dacian helmet of Poiana-Coţofeneşti (1999, 2002 and 2003),

- the eagle from Apahida (2003),

- a Cantacuzinian engolpion (2004),
- the following 10 new lei with

- the Perşinari Hoard (2005),

- the Cucuteni-Băiceni hoard (2006),

- the rhyton of Poroina (2007),

- the Hinova hoard (2008),

- the Someşeni hoard (2010),

- the buckle of Curtea de Argeş (2011),

- the cross from Dinogetia (2011),

- the patera from Pietroasa Hoard (2012),

- the Four Gospels of Hurezi Monastery (2013),

- two ancient gold coins struck at Histria (2014),

- the crown of queen Marie (2015),

- the mace of king Ferdinand (2016),

- the crown of queen Elisabeth (2017),

- the 10 ducats 1600 coin with Michael the Brave (2018),

- the 50 lei with year 1922 coin (2019),

- some late Roman gold artifacts discovered at Carsium (2020),

- the polygonal vessels from the Pietroasa hoard (2022),

- the princely diadem of Buneşti-Avereşti (2023),

- the Apahida hoard (2024).

References

1. Burda Ş., Tezaure de aur din România. Editura Meridiane, Bucureşti, 1979.

2. Manea Nadia, Ciornei Cr., Tezaurul de la Pietroasa. Vasele poligonale. Direcţia Emisiune, Tezaur şi Casierie, Bucureşti, 2022.